What is a VPN in Mobile Phone? Here’s Everything You Need To Know

Today, I can transfer a million dollars from one of my bank accounts to another with a swipe of a finger on my phone. It is one of the bazillion things I can do on a smartphone. It is said that today’s smartphones are more powerful than the computer system that took humans to the moon during Apollo 11. 

There is no denying that you can do anything once the phone connects to the internet. However, it also brings a certain degree of risk. These pocket-sized devices are amazing but they can be hacked in more ways than you can think. A smartphone is an electronic representation of the beholder meaning once a hacker gets hold of your phone, he knows what you do, what you eat, your likes, dislikes, and banking credentials, and that’s just like scratching the surface. 

Some companies block users from accessing content or services in say India when it is available in Japan. That’s where VPN comes into play. Abbreviation for Virtual Private Network, a VPN lets you use a masked unique IP address that can’t be traced. It elevates your instance of security and privacy against intruders and more. Now that you got a gist of what’s VPN is, let’s take a deeper dive into what it actually is, how it works, and everything else that you need to know. 

What is a VPN in Mobile Phone?

Let’s start with the most basic question that you might have, what is a VPN? Here’s what a VPN is and what it does.

You connect to the internet which is through the Internet Service Provider (ISP). It could be your carrier or the internet provider. When you connect to the internet, the ISP uses your unique IP address to serve you the services related to the web. The IP address is basically your unique identifier that can be used to identify an individual user from others. When connected to the internet, every packet of data you exchange carries your information which makes it easier for prying eyes to snoop on your activities. 

The ISP is well-informed about your activities but that’s just one part. Everyone from government agencies, hackers, cyberattackers, and third parties can decipher what you are doing on the web, which websites you visit, and who you are. It literally goes on to show how problematic the situation becomes since you are risking your security and privacy whenever you connect to the web.

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) shields your IP address from ISP and other parties encrypting all the data being exchanged in real-time. It forms a tunnel between the client (i.e. you) and the internet where all the data is routed from a remote server housed in a remote location that can be literally hundreds and thousands of miles away from you. A VPN helps protect your online activities and encrypts all the data packets so that even if someone gets a hold of it, they won’t be able to decipher it. 

It also lets users stream content that has been geo-restricted from playback in certain countries. For instance, shows from HBO Max aren’t streamable in India, however, when you latch your phone to a VPN, you can change its server from India to somewhere in the US and stream the content. 

All HBO Max knows is that there’s a system streaming movies and shows somewhere from the US unless, of course, your original IP address is traced. Buying a high-quality and paid VPN service gives you complete control since the IP addresses are highly likely to be banned. Even if a streaming company bans an IP address, a VPN service literally has thousands more you can use to stream content endlessly. 

How Does a VPN work on Mobile Phones?

Now that you have an idea of what a VPN is, it’s time to know how it works. You must know the basic mechanics even if you won’t be using that knowledge anyways. The reason is, you will be using a VPN service and must be aware of how it works and remain up-to-date for any changes.

When you connect to the web without a VPN, you are basically connected directly to the internet via the ISP. However, connecting to the internet via VPN is much more secure.

Let’s say you bought a VPN service and turned it ON, set its location to the U.S. and you are trying to stream a particular TV show on Netflix not available in India but only limited to the U.S. (also known as geo-restricted content).

Once the VPN is enabled, you can enter Netflix’s website URL and hit enter. Instead of connecting to the internet via the USP, the data packets are routed through a VPN server (based in the US). Once encrypted using a security protocol you choose or a default by your VPN service, it is relayed through the ISP. The VPN server decrypts the data packets sent to the internet and reaches Netflix servers where it is responded to. 

Next up the response from the Netflix server is routed through your VPN server which encrypts it again and sends it via ISP to your device where the system finally decrypts it and performs said actions. The same process happens repeatedly and you can stream a Netflix US show from India while simply pretending to be located somewhere in the U.S.

Also read: Is it illegal to use a VPN for Netflix?

For ease of understanding, you can say it works like “You > VPN service (encrypt) > ISP > VPN service (decrypt) > Website (response) > VPN service (encrypt) > ISP > You (decrypt) > Repeat”. The process continues until you stop using the VPN which is when the connection becomes “You > ISP > internet > Repeat” process commences. 

The Possible Use Cases

The VPN service runs in the background without ever interfering with anything you do on your device. Note that the instance mentioned above is for accessing the Netflix US library via VPN when you are located in India. However, it applies to literally anything. 

VPN isn’t just used to break free of geo-restriction but it can be used to stay anonymous with a masked IP address. To protect users’ activities from government and hackers, shielding against cyberattacks when connected to public networks. The legality of a VPN differs from country to country and service to service which means you will have to do your due diligence before unleashing VPN.

VPN can be used to book travel accommodations and bookings. If you are unaware, travel websites track user’s history and may jack up the price if they see using browsing for accommodations. One of the  noble use cases of a VPN is to book accommodations as using VPN disengages any trackers and thus, you will eventually end up with great deals. 

Why Should You Use a VPN on Your Mobile Phone?

Instead of simply listing out the pros and advantages of using a VPN, let’s discuss both the pros and cons of using a VPN on a mobile phone that you should be familiar with.

Pros

• Data security

When you connect to a VPN service, all your data is encrypted from points A to B and back. It includes everything from messages, financial information, passwords, history, and online activities among others. It prevents any prying eyes from snooping on your web traffic thereby giving you immense data security.

• IP Address change

Your original IP address reveals a lot about you individually when connected to the internet. When using a VPN, your IP address will be masked thereby preventing you from being a mule for ad targeting as well as any sort of cyberattacks such as phishing where your IP address can play a vital role.

• Unlocked geo-restricted content

When you subscribe to a VPN, you can basically connect to any remote server and bypass any geo-restriction imposed by any service. For instance, HBO Max in the US is not available in India, however, you can connect to a remote server in the US and use HBO Max without any hassle. Apart from that, some VPN apps have server-switching and hopping mechanisms that keep you ahead of any trackers. 

Cons

• Slower connection

When you connect to a VPN, it goes through encryption and routing procedures between the client and the remote server back and forth. It results in slower internet speeds. Paid VPN protocols use faster protocols to counter reduced speeds and that’s why I would recommend going for a paid service rather than a free one. 

• Banned in certain countries

VPN isn’t available across all countries legally. It is banned in some countries whereas some countries heavily restrict its usage. This is the reason why I mentioned you need to check whether your country allows VPN usage or not. 

• You will have to pay up

When you connect to the internet, you are basically paying your ISP for the internet. However, getting a paid VPN subscription means you will have to pay the VPN service provider as well. Although the security and privacy cadre it offers is incomprehensible to the few bucks you will be paying, it still means you will have to pay every month or buy a year or multi-year subscription to keep using it.  

What Should You Choose On Your Mobile Phone – Free VPN or Paid VPN?

I know there’s an ongoing debate if you can use a free VPN on your mobile phone or if you should get your hands on a paid VPN app. Perhaps, the answer is, it depends. If you use it minimally, you can go for a free VPN as they are readily available free of cost. Additionally, free VPN services have data and speed caps which means you will have to adhere to both these limitations if you still want to use it. 

If that’s not the part where it sucks, you will have to watch some intrusive ads too. Yes, some legit VPN apps have a free tier and that might include ads to keep it afloat. More importantly, these free services might use and sell your data which is the last thing you want even after using a VPN service. We have already discussed why Free VPN is Not Safe on smartphones.

On the contrary, paid VPN shields you from any ads. There’s no cap on data usage and limitation on speed which is something you would want when streaming videos. Paid VPN services unleash the Kraken when it comes to kill switches, encryption, security protocols, and high-quality servers to bypass geo-restrictions to name a few. It will fortify your device from malware and malicious websites and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. 

List of Best VPN Apps for Mobile Phone

It won’t be possible to list everything about a VPN for mobile phones without listing out the 5 best VPNs. Let’s dive into the list with some of the features that these VPN services offer.

NordVPN

It is currently among one of the most popular VPN services available globally. NordVPN currently has 5,500+ servers spread across 59 countries. It offers max 6 devices to be connected simultaneously. The VPN has a great inclination towards the security of the users thanks to the use of NordLynx protocol. With impeccable performance, NordVPN has AES-256 encryption, a kill switch, a double VPN, and a lot of other features to use. You can check our NordVPN Review for more details.

Surfshark

Next up, we have SurfShark which is an equally authoritative VPN app service as others in this list. It has more than 3,200 services spread across 160+ locations in 100+ countries and offers unlimited device connections. It is a seriously efficient VPN with AES-256 encryption to take care of data packets. There’s a superfast WireGuard protocol, kill switch, streaming servers, and servers in more countries than others. Perhaps, it is a full package. 

Atlas VPN

Are you looking for the best VPN but your budget is low? Also, you don’t want to use a free VPN with unwanted Ads & compromise your privacy? In that case, Atlas VPN could be the best choice for you. With 750+ premium servers (Including ultra-secure Privacy Pro & streaming servers) it’s currently among one of the best VPN services starting at just $2.05 USD/month. They also have 30 days refund policy incase you don’t like the VPN. More details can be found in our Atlas VPN Review article where we have discussed almost everything.

ExpressVPN

It is currently ranked as the #1 trusted leader in VPN with a current catalog of 3,000-plus services spread across 160 locations and 94 countries. ExpressVPN is available across iOS and Android devices allowing speedy connections with merely a 2% loss in internet speeds. It is a big name when it comes to privacy tools, and third-party audits, among others. ExpressVPN uses Lightway as its security protocol to encrypt and decrypt data relying on the network. It currently serves plans of 5 simultaneous connections, probably the best for torrenting, and a lot more to get your hands on. Check out our ExpressVPN Review to know more.

ProtonVPN

One of the top 10 best VPN services out there, ProtonVPN gives you access to 1,700+ servers in 64 countries. The VPN app has support for both OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols with varying speeds. There’s a zero-logging policy where the app doesn’t keep track of any activities whatsoever. Its Unlimited plan has an array of apps including Proton Drive, and Proton Mail among others. You can get your hands on dedicated services for Netflix and other streaming services. 

Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access VPN is another in the series that gives you access to 10,000+ servers spread across 84 countries. It offers excellent value thanks to the availability of more servers, reliable VPN service, kill switch and no-log audit etc. PIA even has dedicated servers for streaming on BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and Netflix among others. Its cheapest plan starts at $2.19/mo if you subscribe to a two-year plan.

Wrapping Up

That’s everything you need to know about VPN and the best VPN apps available in the market. You can dabble with other offerings too such as IPVanish or TunnelBear, however, ensure that you are using a legit and most probably paid version to free yourself from any ads or unnecessary slow speeds that will surely plague you if you take a rash decision of installing a free version.